


Brave Like You

by xo_marauders



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Angst, Except Regulus, F/M, M/M, sorry - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-22
Updated: 2019-08-22
Packaged: 2020-10-01 17:48:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20355850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xo_marauders/pseuds/xo_marauders





	Brave Like You

It was not a secret that Walburga Black despised her first born and had since the minute he showed any sort of defiance towards his ancestors beliefs. He shamed her and broke her heart, and so she burned him off the family tree just like she should have burned him out of her. Sirius Black was no son of hers.

So it was surprising, to say the least, when Sirius received a letter mere days after his mother’s passing stating he was the only person left in her will to take care of her assets. Everything he never wanted was now in his possession no matter how much he and Walburga hated it. But with Orion and Regulus both dying untimely deaths, the next best thing was Sirius.

“You really don’t have to come with me, Prongs. I’ll be fine.” Sirius said as he shrugged on his leather jacket. He had decided to go to Grimmauld Place in some false hope of finding something useful or at least gathering the rest of his things he had left behind when he was sixteen, namely his beloved record player. Though, his dear mother had probably blasted it to bits the minute he left.

“You hated it there, Pads. It’s going to bring back a lot of memories from your past. And you know how you get.” James said, holding Harry on his hip as he followed Sirius out the door.

Sirius was grateful to James for offering to come no matter how much he had protested in the beginning. Remus and Lily had offered their support of course, but no one knew the details of the horrors Sirius had suffered in his childhood home. No one, that is, except James.

“I’m coming too!” Harry shouted, throwing his fists in the air. A burst of magic escaped from the four year old boy, causing the window of Lily’s muggle car to shatter. James cringed a bit before taking his wand out and muttering a spell to repair it before his wife could see. Sirius laughed, taking his godson from James’ arms and holding him close.

“Harry, you may come but I must ask you to not touch anything. Swear to me you won’t?”

Harry raised his hand up in mock salute and nodded his head. “I solemnly swear I will not touch anything!”

Sirius grinned and hugged his godson close to him once more before depositing him back into James’ arms. Harry was a miracle to him. It was only four years ago when Sirius, as well as everyone else, had expected Voldemort to attack Harry, considering the young boy had become a target for the Dark Lord after a prophecy was foretold about the two. Sirius took it upon himself to become secret keeper for James and Lily so they could go into hiding with their son. It was a stressful time and Sirius himself had felt rather paranoid for a long time. He felt as though he couldn’t trust anyone; everyone had secrets.

But then the war ended; quite abruptly. Albus Dumbledore had somehow discovered that Tom Riddle had created horcruxes; six to be exact. Though, the Order was never officially able to figure out where Dumbledore had gotten his information because their dear headmaster died soon after due to an infection caused by one of the horcruxes. Not even Snape—the death eater turned spy—had any information.

Sirius didn’t dwell on it too much. Or at least he tried not to. There were far too many things that went on during the war that he still couldn’t figure out. And he had learned that life is too short to dwell on things you cannot change.

“C’mon,” Sirius said to James, eager to get all this over with, “let’s apparate.”

—

Grimmauld Place was just as dark and terrible as Sirius remembered. The bitter cold air caused him to shiver as he remembered freezing in the cellar as a punishment, one of his parents favorite disciplines. The walls were a bit dusty, laced with cobwebs and the like.

“Didn’t your family own a house elf?” James asked from the kitchen where he and Harry were collecting expensive goblets and tea cups and depositing them into boxes.

“Yes. Though, I suppose Kreacher is rather old now. Surprised mother never added his head to her collection…” Sirius commented, eyeing the house elf heads that lined the staircase. He heard Harry make a questioning noise in the kitchen and James assuring his son that Sirius was just joking.

“I’m going upstairs. The study is all cleaned out.”

“Okay.” James replied, “Holler if you need us.”

Sirius nodded, even though James could not see him. He walked up the stairs slowly, his eyes lingering on the gaudy decorations his mother had put up when he was a child. The portraits on the wall frowned at him, muttering about how big a disgrace he was to the Black family name. After reaching the top of the staircase, he turned to glance down the hall at his bedroom. The door was cracked open, blocking most of his vision, but he could still see some of the muggle posters he had stuck on his walls.

He smirked, shaking his head at the amount of nerve he must’ve had to permanently stick nearly naked muggle girls on his walls. Sirius himself even regretted it after realizing how much he liked looking at Remus Lupin’s backside more so than the poster girls’ chests. But, it was fun to watch his little brother turn bright red with embarrassment and even a little intrigue whenever he stepped into his older brothers room.

The thought of Regulus made Sirius frown. He had heard rumors surrounding his little brothers death, the most popular being that Regulus was attempting to back out of being a death eater, and Voldemort killed him the minute he caught wind of the younger Black’s betrayal. Sirius often found himself wondering if things would be different between them now, had Regulus survived. With the war being over and no sides to pick, would they have become brothers again?

Sirius slowly turned the other way down the hall, walking toward his little brothers room, hoping it might bring him some sort of peace. The door opened with a slight creak and he stepped inside, immediately noticing how perfect everything was set in the room. It seemed that Regulus’ room was the only one in the house that wasn’t covered in dust. It wasn’t a surprise, really, considering how much that blasted house elf worshipped the youngest Black.

“Master Sirius.” A voice croaked from the other side of the room. Kreacher stood at the edge of Regulus’ bed, his ears flat against his head as he stared at Sirius with a look of contempt. “The filthy blood traitor has finally come hom—“

“Watch your tongue, Kreacher, unless you fancy joining the other wall decorations.”

Kreacher snarled at Sirius, but didn’t say another word to him. He turned away and continued going through some of Regulus’ old things, muttering how brave his young master was and how much nicer…

“Master Regulus, a better son and a better master….so brave, Master Regulus was, so brave….so clever…outsmarted the Dark Lord himself…”

Sirius furrowed his eyebrows, stepping further into the room and crouching down to look at Kreacher, who turned as if he forgot Sirius was even there.

“What are you on about, elf?”

“Master Regulus figured out the Dark Lords secret. Master Regulus knew how to stop him. Promised Kreacher that he would make everything right…” The old house elf mumbled.

_Master Regulus figured out the Dark Lords secret…_

“What secret, Kreacher?” Sirius asked, his voice softer and genuine. Kreacher’s eyes widened, never having been addressed so calmly by Sirius before. The elf frowned and turned to the pile of things he had been collecting. Sirius watched as Kreacher pulled a broken locket from a small box, presenting it to him as if it were a gift.

“Dumbledore returned it to Kreacher after the deed was done. It was all Kreacher had left of Master Regulus, so he was happy to get it back…” The old house elf explained as Sirius turned the locket in his hand. “That, and this, of course.”

Sirius looked up as Kreacher reached into the small box once more and pulled out a small piece of parchment.

_To the Dark Lord_

_I_ _know I will be dead long before you read this but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match, you will be mortal once more. _

_R.A.B _

Sirius stood shakily, clutching the note in his hand tightly. Everything seemed to blur around him as he focused on the words he had just read. Regulus. Regulus had sacrificed himself to defeat Voldemort. His little brother…

Tears formed in his eyes and his breath came out shaky. His heart ached as he wished for just once last chance, just one, to see his brother again. To hold him and hug him and thank him and apologize and…and to be his _brother_.

“Kreacher,” Sirius said, his voice right. The house elf looked up at Sirius curiously, unsure what to do with his Master in such a state, “Kreacher, I’m sorry.”

Kreacher’s eyes nearly popped out of his head as he stared at Sirius bewildered by his statement.

“Master Sirius does not need to apologize to Kreacher—“

“I’m sorry that you lost him.”

The old house elf’s ears fell as understanding washed over him. He slowly made his way to where Sirius stood and placed a small, wrinkled hand on his leg. Sirius startled slightly and looked down at the elf, who was looking at him with sympathy.

“Master Regulus loved his brother. Just wanted to be brave like him.”

The tears from Sirius’ eyes fell freely now as he sank to the ground, clutching the note to his chest. His little brother—his annoying, stubborn, and kind little brother—just wanted to be brave like _him_. Sirius shook his head, muttering under his breath.

“You’re the brave one, Reg. You always were.”


End file.
